Ch 129
When the time arrived for his meeting with whoever had summoned him, Matt couldn’t help but feel a twinge of nervousness, despite his indifference toward the summoner's opinion. It wasn’t their judgment that concerned him; it was more about the fear of his own plan backfiring in a spectacular manner. He understood that this was his only strategy that might yield results even remotely favorable if it succeeded. The toughest challenge had been perfecting the dish, as although they had gathered everything Matt believed they needed, his initial attempts failed so miserably that he ended up calling his sister-in-law, Stacy, of all people, for advice. Fortunately, Naomi had insisted on conducting a few experimental trials from the start, as Matt was clueless about the subtle differences between various types of dough.
Speaking with Stacy hadn’t been pleasant, and Matt felt as though he had squandered a valuable call he had been saving for something extremely important. Nevertheless, she provided them with the information they needed, and everything turned out satisfactorily in Matt’s mind. It certainly wasn’t comparable to the pizzas he had enjoyed back on Earth, even the frozen ones he would consume when dropping by Cassie’s place. Still, Matt was prepared to share what they had created as Naomi carefully placed the three variations they had made on a cart, covering them with a glass cloche and then draping a cloth over the top.
What followed was an awkward walk through the corridor lined with doors, as Matt trailed behind Naomi. They eventually arrived at a section where the doors were significantly larger, some more than twice the size of a standard door. There, they encountered a woman who could have passed for human if it weren’t for the large horn and two rabbit ears protruding from her white hair. She stood waiting for them, her presence commanding and enigmatic. Naomi remained silent, stepping back as the woman took charge of the cart. Without uttering a word, she dismissed Naomi, leaving Matt to switch his focus to following her.
When they stopped just a handful of doors later, she gave Matt a dismissive look as he stood in his armor before knocking twice. Only a few seconds passed before the doors swung open, and Matt was ushered into what he could only describe as a scene of overindulgence. Immediately, Matt found himself in another long hall, but this one was wide enough to easily accommodate two cars driving side by side. Along the sides, spaced out every 15 feet, were poles with women dressed in scanty outfits, dancing gracefully, their bodies adorned with jewelry so valuable it could probably purchase several homes back on Earth. Each of them smiled alluringly at Matt, but he remained unfazed, focusing on following the women pushing the cart ahead of him. They soon entered a living room—or at least that was what Matt assumed it to be, as it was furnished with couches and tables he would expect in such a space. However, there was also an indoor pool featuring a lazy river that wound its way around the area with the couches, adding yet another element of luxury to the room.
Matt already felt a headache coming on as he walked across the bridge to the sitting area. A few women giggled before diving into the water and swimming under the bridge, emerging on the other side with laughter echoing through the air. When they surfaced, Matt found himself looking their way more out of reflex than genuine interest, as he had been trained to be vigilant for anything unusual in the dungeon. This was especially important after battling a few monsters whose attacks transformed into smaller creatures upon impact. Despite this, the smiles the women gave him seemed oddly inappropriate before they turned away and swam off. Matt shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts and refocused on the only man in the room, who stood as the solitary figure on the island where the sofas were arranged.
The man was facing away from Matt as he gazed out at the pool. The white-haired woman, whom Matt had followed in, simply pushed the cart until it stood between the two of them before stepping back. The next few moments were filled with silence as Matt observed everything he could about the man before him. The man was lean, with paws instead of feet, brown rabbit ears, and a single horn visible from behind, matching the ones Matt had previously used as a weapon. As Matt frowned, he realized that he was essentially looking at someone who had likely evolved from a creature similar to those he had slain. This notion bothered him, making him feel as though everything he observed was some kind of test. Deciding to break the silence himself, Matt spoke up.
"If you invited me here just to admire the beauty of the women present, then I feel my time would be better spent back in the room I’ve been confined to."
"Is that your way of saying that none of my daughters catch your eye?" the man asked without turning around. "I have to say, that is disappointing, as I intend for you to leave here with a marriage contract with one of them—if you leave here at all, that is."
"If you’re asking me to choose between death and marriage, then I must ask what the difference between the two is," retorted Matt. "I am not so easily coerced into things I don’t wish for."
“The difference is that the rest of those you came to this world with will be left alone,” stated the man, his voice unwavering and confident. “I am well aware that you’re not the kind to be easily swayed by women, and that isn’t what this is about. I am saying that if you wish to live, a connection between you and Godfrey Enterprises must be established, and it must be solid and unbreakable.”
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“You speak as if there is nothing more secure than a marriage, yet a simple death can end those easily enough,” Matt countered, his voice tinged with skepticism.
“Children—” the man began.
“Won’t happen, as my patron has ordered me not to have them at this point,” Matt interrupted.
“Nor do I want them to, but there are ways to delay such processes until the time is right—” the man continued to insist.
“No,” Matt cut in firmly, his resolve unshaken. “It sounds like you wish for me to either leave one of your daughters here with my seed lying dormant within her or leave a sample of my seed that you could then use on multiple women. Neither of those will happen, as I will retain control over when, where, and with whom I have a child.”
“Then I hope, for your sake, that you have something to present to me other than yourself as what makes your organization valuable,” the man retorted sharply as he turned on his heel, showing his face to Matt.
Matt hadn't even spared a moment to examine the man before he pulled out the egg-shaped gem, an enormous jewel almost as large as himself, which he had taken from the pile of treasure during the battle with the goblins. There was an extended silence as the man's eyes widened in shock, and several of the women nearby seemed to cower away, intimidated by the oppressive aura emanating from the gem. Only Matt and the man across from him managed to remain standing when the first words echoed ominously from the jewel.
"The thief has decided to expose himself to me once more!" the voice boomed, reverberating in the tense atmosphere.
"Yes," Matt replied calmly, "I was considering handing your anchor over to others to see if they could make use of it."
"Ha, what fools would dare! Oh, I see, the Godfrey whelps wish to be taught a lesson. Very well—" the voice continued, dripping with disdain.
Matt quickly returned the gem to his spatial storage and smiled, noticing the rabbit-man's evident frustration. Despite the tension, Matt maintained his grin as he began to speak.
"It seems you might want to keep me alive, if only to gain Tempormr's assistance in dealing with Randoznaormr, who I believe is the one I was told about. I have no clue what their deal is, but—"
"You madman, hand that anchor over now so we can return it—" interrupted the rabbit-man, his voice rising with urgency.
"That won't appease him," Matt interjected, shaking his head with a knowing look. "You see, I took this gem from the first world the system dumped me in, and from what I've gathered, Randoznaormr can't easily return it there."
"Ha, ha, ha, then it will be your head and the gem we give to him," the rabbit-man threatened, his tone dripping with menace.
"See, that's not going to work either," Matt replied calmly. "My spatial storage is a skill, and when I die, everything inside it will be lost, as my soul is bound to its physical location. That location happens to be in a dungeon, and retrieving anything stored there would require someone to clear it. This means reaching the first world I arrived on when I was integrated."
"I see," the rabbit-man conceded, a hint of admiration creeping into his voice. "Well played, well played indeed. Though I must ask, why do I feel like I would be the one to die if I struck at you?"
"Is that feeling the only reason you didn't?" Matt inquired, his eyes gleaming with a mix of curiosity and challenge.
The rabbit-man hesitated, clearly reluctant to answer, but Matt already knew the truth and chose to let the matter rest.
"Let's agree that some answers are best left unknown," Matt suggested in a friendly tone, trying to ease the tension. "For now, the smartest move for me is to find a way to work with you that is mutually acceptable, and I would hope the same applies to you. Although, I’m not even sure if you are the vice leader I’ve heard about, the one who oversees this world. It seems Naomi knows nothing about them, which leaves me equally in the dark."
"Yes, I am the thorn in Godfrey Enterprises' side, banished to this breeding world. Within these walls is the only place you’ll find anyone ranked B and above on this planet, and it’s also the sole location where technology with an entertainment focus is permitted. It’s the shiny prize all the good little beast-men strive to attain."
"If I may ask, what rank are you?" Matt inquired.
"I'm S rank, though only level 260," the rabbit-man replied with a hint of frustration. "Being stuck here since reaching S-rank has left me with no way to level up, except through my assigned job as planetary manager. In 50 years, that’s only allowed me to gain three levels, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon."
"I see," replied Matt, frowning slightly. "That is rather disappointing."
"Yes, well, I suppose I should see what passes as a delicacy in your mind," retorted the rabbit man, as he removed the cloth that had been both hiding the three pizzas and, according to Naomi, had also served to freeze time for them. "You brought me pizza, and it doesn't even look like a particularly well-made version of it."
"What do you expect when I am not a cook and have no access to my home world?" Matt replied, frowning again as he realized that pizza wasn't, in fact, unique here. Still, he had half expected this reaction and hoped that one particular combination, often seen as an abomination by many, would at least catch the rabbit man's eye as different. "Perhaps, if I had more than a single day and was someone who cared more about taste than practicality, you might have gotten something fancier."
"I see. Then I take it you haven’t unlocked the luxury item feature for your organization yet."
"The what?"
"It’s a control that will allow you and your vice leaders to purchase any mundane item or food from the world you came from. It is one of the main reasons why so many who integrate wish to reach the top of any organization and regain access to the foods they have been missing. Still, I can see that you brought me three different versions that I'm sure were inspired by the flavors you enjoyed."
"Two of the three are," Matt said, nodding. "The last was more of a test to see which side of a certain argument you would fall on."
"Oh, and what is that?"
"Whether pineapple belongs on pizza. Though what you have before you isn't quite the same as what I remember, it's close enough that I think you should be able to determine if the combination has potential in your opinion."
